Window shade holder



June 12, 1951 sc 2,556,505

WINDOW SHADE HOLDER Filed July 17, 1950 E min A. Raasch INVENTOR.

BY WW Z5? Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STAT S PATT OFFICE The presentinvention relates to certain new and useful improvements in structuralways and means which serves to coact with and confine the vertical edgeportions of a drawn window shade in a manner to prevent the latter fromballooning and noisily flapping within the confines of a room space.

It is a matter of common knowledge that when a roller-type window shadeor blind is pulled down, either partly or wholly, and the sashes areopened, air entering the room from the outside will often blow, flap andtear the shade. Everyone knows how exasperating and nerve rackingflapping window shades can be. The obvious purpose of the presentinvention is to provide simple and practical holders which aresusceptible of being installed in conventional frame constructions andwhich are characterized by projectable and retractible check rails whichvirtually eliminate shade flapping.

A further object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and.otherwise improve upon shade edge guides and similar devices and, in sodoing, to provide novel and practical'means in which manufacturers,users and others will find their ordinary needs fully met, contained andreadily available.

Briefly summarized, each holding device is characterized by a verticallyelongated sheath which is channel-shaped in cross-section, a projectableand retractable check-rail of corresponding length, and a pair of simplehingedly mounted end brackets in the sheath permitting the checkrail tobe projected for use and retracted when not in use.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are employed todesignated like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view with parts shown in section wherein ashade holder, constructed in accordance with the invention, is shownmounted and in use.

Figure 2 is a view on a smaller scale showing the complete frame, sash,shade assembly with both shade holding devices projected and in use.

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on the planes of the lines 33and 44 respectively of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, with portionsbroken away, showing one end portion of one of the attachments.

Referring now to the drawings by reference 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-268)numerals and lead lines and directing attention first to Figure 5, thechannel-shaped sheath is denoted by the numeral 6. In practice, this isof suitable material and is approximately of a length corresponding tothe height of the window construction in which it is installed. Thespaced parallel side walls are denoted by the numerals 8 and I0 and theweb portion [2 is provided with apertures or holes M to accommodate woodscrews or the like which are used to fasten the sheath unit fixedly inoperative position. The complemental projectable and retractiblecheck-rail unit is denoted by the numeral Hi. This is of a lengthsubstantially commensurate with the length of the channel into which itfolds. It is also V-shaped in cross section and the flange portion I8 isadapted to recede wholly into the confines of the channel as shown inFigure 3. The head portion 20 substantially lids over and closes theopen side of the channel. In Fig. 3 the rail unit [Bi shown fitting intothe channel. In Fig. 4 it is shown projected outwardly beyond thechannel in which position it serves as a guard. A block-like bracket 22is hinged at 24 between the upper end portions of the flanges and thisbracket is bifurcated and the furcations provide ears 26 which straddleand are eccentrically pivoted as at 28 to the flange [8. The flange I8is provided with a clearance notch 30 which serves to clear the bracket22 when the parts are folded I into the sheath. There is a similarhinged bracket at 32 and this is likewise hinged between the flanges andprovided with ears 34 straddling the flange l8 and hingedly connectedthereto as at 36. The hinge means here is provided with a knurled orotherwise milled finger grip 38 which may be employed as a sort of aturning knob. That is to say, by catching hold of the knob and turningit in a direction from left to right, the two brackets are swung upontheir hinge joints and serve to project the guard unit I6 to an outposition, the position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Turning the knob inthe opposite direction actuates the brackets simultaneously and servesto cause the brackets to recede between the channel walls, whereupon theunit i6 is thus retracted to an out-of-the-way position. In the latterposition which is shown in Figure 3, the guard is clear of the edgeportion 40 of the roller type shade or blind 42.

In practice, the channel-shaped sheaths 6 are nailed or otherwisefastened to accommodating strips 44 in the window frame. The sashes areof usual construction and for convenience are denoted by the numerals 46and 48. Obviously,

the sashes, frame and window blind are conventional. This inventionmerely adds to guard attachments and they are shown in useful positionsin the arrangement depicted in Figure 2.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction withthe invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader toobtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features ofmerit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invenionas hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts maybe resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made fromthe invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. In a window construction of the class and described, in combination,a relatively stationary frame structure, windows mounted in said framestructure, a rollable shade'mounted-in said frame structure, said shadebeing provided at its lower end with a customary hem and stick in thehem, a pair of opposed vertically disposed channelshaped sheaths mountedin vertical portions of said frame structure adjacent to the marginaledges of said shade, check-rails occupying positions which overlap thevertical edge portions of the shade, and hinged brackets connected withthe respective sheaths and associatedcheck-rails and facilitatingfolding of the latter to positions which are out of the way in respectto the edge portions of said shade.

2. A shade guard attachment for a window frame comprising a sheathadapted to be fixedly mounted on a vertical part of a conventionaltypewindow frame construction, a projectable and retractible check-rail, andmeans fastening the rail in the sheath and permitting the rail to foldagainst and partly into the sheath retract the latter into an out-of-useposition.

3. An attachment for a window frame construction comprising an elongatedchannelshaped sheath, brackets hingedly mounted in opposite end portionsof said sheath, an elongated check-rail provided with a flange, saidflange being hingedly connected with said brackets, the brackets andflange being foldable into the channel of the sheath when not in use.

4. An attachment for a window frame con- I struction comprising anelongated channelshaped sheath, brackets hingedly mounted in oppositeend portions of said sheath, an elongated check-rail provided with aflange, said flange being hingedly connected with said brackets, thebrackets and flange being foldable into the channel of the sheath whennot in use, one of said brackets being provided with a fingergrippingknob whereby upon operating the single knob both brackets are swung toprojected positions in the manner and fOr the purposes described.

5. An attachment for a window frame construction comprising an elongatedsheath of channel-shaped cross-section, upper and lower bracketshingedly mounted between the flanges of the sheath at opposite endportions of the sheath, said brackets being provided with spaced ears,one'of said brackets being provided with an operating knob located onthe exterior of the sheath, an elongated check-rail of T-shapedcross-sectional form and including a head portion and a flange portion,the flange portion being hingedly connected with the brackets andadapted to fold into the channel when out of use.

6. In a window oonstruction'of the:class shown and described, incombination,'a'relatively stationary frame, a roller-shade mounted. "inthe upper portion of said frame,.and means-mounted on the verticalportions of said frame/to coact with the vertical edge portions'of :saidshade to prevent strong air currents from ballooning and flapping theshade into the adjacent room space, said means embodying verticallyelongated check-rails, fixed channelehaped sheaths therefor andhingedlymoiintedreceding brackets foldable into said sheaths, saidbrackets supporting said rails.

ERWIN A. RAASCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,280,285 Owen Oct. 1', 19181,445,697 Love Feb. 20, 1923 1,836,337 Nye Dec. 15, 1931

